Emergency closure of runway at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole on Sept. 3

KOA Runway emergency closure 9/3/26 3PM Update: The runway at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole has been reopened. Crews will do a permanent repair from 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.

KONA, Hawai'i - The Hawai'i Department of Transportation (HDOT) suspended air operations at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) at 1:35 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. The suspension is to address a crack discovered on the runway at KOA. Crews are patching the crack and expect to reopen around 3 p.m. today. A closure for permanent repair will happen tonight from 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Approximately six flights were inbound to KOA at the time the crack was discovered. Three flights have been diverted to Kahului Airport and will be rerouted once the runway patch is completed.

HDOT will update on the status of the KOA runway. Passengers with flights scheduled to arrive or depart from KOA this afternoon are encouraged to check with their airline for flight status.

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